The African Great Lakes has suffered for more than two decades from horrors of fratricidal war. There were recorded several losses in human lives and the social fabric of communities is torn day after day. Being aware of this catastrophe, the associations of Scouts and Guides from great lakes are resolved to unite in order to give their contribution in regulating the local situation.
It was in 1996 that the Scouts set up a dialogue of Scouts from Great Lakes which happened to mobilize thousands of young people during two sub regional jamborees of peace (December 2002 at Rukeco in Burundi and July 2007 at Nyangezi in DR Congo/South-Kivu), in a work camp in Burundi (Kirundo, August 2005), by an inter-patrol competition at Gitarama and by an inter-cub at Cyangugu in Rwanda respectively in 2004 and 2006. Several leadership trainings and meetings took place to build bridges by building relations between Scouts when there were tensions among politicians.
Educational handbooks were produced and disseminated. The workhorse has been the Peace Education, one of the strong means to block the barbarism in the hearts of future generations “since wars begin in the hearts of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be raised”.
Peace clubs always set an example in resolving existing problems within the community
It is in 2005, after several meetings with several Scout leaders and Guides both at the international (WOSM and WAGGGS), African and national level that the idea of a synergistic work between Scouts and Guides is materialized, and the action is given for a period of two years. It is the Amahoro-Amani project claiming to promote a lasting peace in the Great Lakes region, a Scout and Guide dynamics is established between Scouts and Guides from a region.
Amahoro-Amani was later transformed to a formal network “Dynamique des Scouts et Guides des Grands Lacs” (DSGGL), with regional offices in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The GSGGL vision is to shape “A youth that promotes peace, unity for sustainable development in the Great Lakes Region”.
Its mission is “Mobilize and put into action several thousands of young people to fight against prejudices and contribute to the achievement of lasting peace in the Great Lakes.”
The members of DSGGL in Rwanda during the Gender Forum in 2019.
More than 800 peace clubs are working locally in conflicts management and resolution, peace education, human rights promotion and gender balance promotion.
AGR counts 120 peace clubs working towards long lasting peace starting from their homes, schools and in the community.